Men of Steel
by LadyKF
Summary: "You should be proud it's our boy, Gillian; Angeal's going to change the world." - Hollander had no idea how right he was.


**A/N:** This was a giftfic I did for the FF7Central Fanworks Exchange over on Ao3, for frogslay.

 **Prompt:** What effect would it have on events if Angeal had been the poster child for SOLDIER instead of Sephiroth?

* * *

The Jenova Project had been going on for years before either of the two subprojects showed results. There had been trials on adults, first - the ideal, in theory, for not needing near so much time to reach an end product. But the enhancements didn't stick well to a body done growing. Teenagers were marginally better, so long as it was early in the stages of puberty, but it followed that to get the real, _deep_ changes to the human genome Gast was proposing, they would need to go younger. Children were the next initial thought, but most reasonable were babies. It would be a much longer project to see it come to fruition, but the thought of awakening the Cetra heritage of humanity was too tempting not to.

Under Gast's supervision, his two head doctors took their own theories and got to work; Hollander went south to Banora, the land rich with Lifestream despite its lack of reactor, and Hojo went west to Nibelheim where the first reactor had been built, working out of the ShinRa Manor. Their assistants, both adult women, submitted to further testing on themselves and prepared to have their own cells used to bring forth the promised generation.

It was mid-summer when the first boy was born to Project G, small but healthy with gleaming blue eyes and a slightly elevated baseline of enhancements. Perfectly healthy, but far too human for a child that had been so carefully adjusted for months in hopes of something _more_. Gast looked at the results and said to release the boy to his family, there was no point in trying to change things. The other team was working slower (more thoroughly, Hojo would have said) in Nibelheim, a different process that should get results.

Then, in early winter, Project G had an unexpected breakthrough when Gillian gave birth.

Angeal was a large baby, strong and showing all the genetic markers they'd dreamed of, his eyes quickly resolving from baby blue to a softly glowing teal and his little fluff of hair a gunmetal gray reminiscent of Jenova's. They had a success, while Project S was still in progress. For now, it wasn't going to be shut down, but Hollander had just netted himself solid backing with the promise of a new, viable subject.

Gillian had been livid.

"I never said you could have _my son_ , Lucas," she hissed, voice low in deference to the sleeping infant. "I didn't agree to this."

"He was an experiment by default, Gillian. _You_ were enhanced, he got the cells from your womb, cells that are ShinRa property." Hollander frowned at her. "And he's not just _your_ son. I'll sue for custody, if I have to, and with ShinRa on my side you'll be lucky if you get sent pictures. Don't be stupid about this."

She was silent a long moment, knowing and hating that he was right. Her baby had been born in Junon, and ShinRa had been the law there before they'd gone on to build Midgar. If she wanted any part in his life, she was going to have to compromise. "I want to raise him."

"I never said you couldn't. But he's coming back with me to headquarters, and he's going to be the lead of Project G." Hollander rested a hand on her shoulder. "You should be proud it's our boy, Gillian; Angeal's going to change the world."

* * *

While Project G was a celebrated success in Midgar, Project S was still in the early stages in Nibelheim, and the only good news was that Lucrecia's nightmares had stopped. It restored an uneasy peace between the men in her life, drawing them back from the nerves and frustration that might have led to a confrontation if it had gone on any longer. They watched her closely still, but she was beginning to recover. It was a good sign when they desperately needed one.

"Will she be strong enough to make it to term?"

Hojo startled a little, looking up from his work and frowning at the Turk who had interrupted him. "Of course she will."

"It wasn't _of course_ earlier," Vincent said, mild despite how angry he'd been. It soothed something to see Hojo take a breath, looking back at his papers but seeing nothing of the moment and everything of the past that had been draining them both. "I just want to know the change is enough, that this damned project isn't going to kill her."

"It would be her choice, if it did," Hojo said quietly, his hand curling to a loose fist before he looked back. "She'll live, Valentine. Don't fuss."

"And the baby's healthy?" If there had been a time Vincent would have been scared off by Hojo's glower, it was long past. For all he'd flustered around Lucrecia those first months, he'd settled back firmly into the mantle of _Turk_ in the past few weeks.

"It will be successful," Hojo said, after a long pause.

"She told me, you know." Vincent held his gaze a long moment, eyes more red than brown in the early light. "I know there's no changing what you have ahead, I know that she plans to stay by you and I can respect that. But that's my _son,_ Hojo, and I will be there."

Hojo huffed softly, waving dismissively. "Be my guest. I don't have time to waste for sentiment. But don't think I'm letting you coddle him."

"Human interaction - _positive_ human interaction - has marked benefits on the mental and emotional development of a child that has long lasting effect on their eventual capacity to function as a human being," Vincent said. "That's basic psychology. Whatever grand plans you have for his future, he'll be a child first."

When the child was born, with a head of silvery white hair and blue-green cat slit eyes, he met most of the markers set by the program; a wild success for enhancements, only without any of the signs his body would one day match Jenova's abilities. Gast called the team back to Midgar regardless; there was much work to be done.

On the birth certificate, it read _Sephiroth Valentine._

* * *

The set of buildings that would one day make up ShinRa Headquarters were not fully built, much like the city itself, but there was still extensive space set up for the doings of the Science Department. Hollander and Gillian had already set up, three years more settled into their rhythm by the time Hojo's team returned with the toddling Sephiroth. To the interest of both teams, the boys had immediately gravitated to one another, seeking out each others company before anyone else.

"There's an undeniable connection between the boys, though it doesn't seem to go beyond extrasensory to actual mental communication," Lucrecia decided, having watched Sephiroth perk up moments before the door actually opened for Gillian and Angeal. "That I've seen, at least. Sephiroth talks more around Angeal as well."

"Angeal's fairly talkative anyway, lots of questions." With their enhancements increasing how quickly the boys matured, they'd had them speaking just as they hit the six month mark. Full simple sentences were quick to follow, with complexity coming soon after, as they learned from the scientists and technicians around them. Hollander was the more indulgent, Hojo barely pausing to clarify himself if the boy needed it, but they had their mothers and a fairly regular rotation of Turks as well.

The boys were settled in the middle of the observation room with a complex puzzle that children their age shouldn't have had the patience for, let alone the dexterity. They weren't talking much about it except to give pointers, working out the spots where they had to do things in a specific order or help each other advance. It looked like they were going to need something more difficult soon.

"It almost seems like they're advancing faster just from their interactions, but with the Reunion Theory there's a chance that even proximity would have done it. It's a pity we didn't wait long enough to introduce them to make notes," Lucrecia said, taking down more observations on their progress with the time that had passed so far. "There's no real precedent, given they've had us supplying low level stimulation on a cellular level since conception."

"They would have found each other anyway," Gillian said. "And it would be cruel to separate them now."

"I'm not sure how well that would work for testing at this point anyway, even if we wanted to risk slowing their development," Lucrecia said. "They're doing amazingly well, hitting bench markers for children several years older than they are. And that's _with_ their bodies still struggling to keep up with motor skill development to match. At this rate they'll be ready for advanced physical testing within the year."

Gillian was silent a moment. "Does it ever seem cruel to you?"

"What? Of course not!" Lucrecia frowned at her. "The advancements we're making -"

"At the cost of their childhoods," Gillian interrupted. "All of it comes at a cost."

Lucrecia watched her a moment. "What we're doing is incredibly important. Some day, they'll appreciate that."

"Is that all it is to you?" Gillian asked, half turning to look at her. "It's always the project first, isn't it? Even though he's your son, that's what it comes down to, numbers and test results."

"Excuse me?" Lucrecia flushed at the accusation. "Of course I care about my son, but some of us are capable of being parents _and_ professionals, and I'll remind you that you've committed just as much time into this same project!"

"I didn't have a choice," Gillian said. "I never agreed to using _my son._ "

"Oh, so it was fine to do it with someone else's baby though?" Lucrecia scoffed. "You don't have a moral high ground here, Gillian, don't pretend you do. I've been there every step of the way for Sephiroth, I _love_ my son, and I know what I'm doing. I believe in our work, and the wonderful future he has coming. If you can't handle the road leading to it, then that's your problem and maybe you should rethink your part in this project."

"Do we have a problem, ladies?" Hollander had looked up from his workstation, dark eyes drifting over Lucrecia before fixing on Gillian.

She went tense under his stare, lifting her chin. "No. Of course not."

She would last another four years in Midgar before divorcing Hollander and permanently stationing in Banora by the original Project G labs.

* * *

Angeal lived with his father in Midgar even after his mother had left, but arrangements were made for him to visit regularly. With Gast increasingly out of the labs, Hollander was left in charge and made the decision that Sephiroth would join him. Officially, of course, it was for the benefit of a change of environment and to allow Angeal access to his mother. But there was yet another experiment to be done. Angeal and Sephiroth had been drawn together since the moment that they had met, and quickly become inseparable. Would they feel anything for the child left behind?

If there was anything to be said for how _quickly_ they found Genesis, the answer might have been yes. Perhaps it was coincidence that had him in the orchard they went racing by, a mere coin toss for which way they would go that day. But there was an undeniable, immediate bond that had them quickly forming a trio.

"So you think it's the J cells?" Veld was with them this time instead of Vincent, getting out in the field while he still could now that it was clear he was on track to be the next Director of the Turks. If he'd had a choice, he would have taken the weekend back in Kalm with his family, but that wasn't an option with Vincent tied up minding the President. "Bringing the boys together, I mean."

"I think initially it was," Lucrecia admitted, watching the boys race across the yard. Genesis wasn't as fast as the other two, but still notably faster than other children his age. His enhancements weren't even enough to bring a glow to his eyes, but there were still signs. "It may be what kept them getting along even after their arguments."

"Hollander hasn't exactly cracked down on his kid's temper," Veld pointed out. "And Genesis is impulsive. I don't think he's ever had anyone tell him not to do things he wants to do. Not another kid, at least."

"No. I suppose we should be thankful Vincent has Sephiroth so intrigued by winning arguments with words or they'd have come to blows," Lucrecia said. "He's a good influence."

"Mostly." Veld chuckled. "He tries to be a good father. Minds himself more than he used to; I honestly figured Vincent would get himself killed one day pissing the wrong guy off but eh. Maybe losing Grimoire meant more than he admitted."

Lucrecia tensed, nodding slightly. "Dr. Valentine was a great man. He's been missed."

Veld might have commented on her tone, but there was an outburst in the yard and raised voices as Genesis and Angeal started shouting at each other. "Alright, I think I better break that up."

"Mr. Hewley has it, I think," Lucrecia said, holding up a hand as they watched him hurry out to the boys. Endlessly patient and clearly fond of children, he was quickly becoming another positive influence. Sometimes she wondered what it would have been like if he'd been able to be around Angeal more, but it was hard to picture the boy without his temper and stubbornness. They both really were their fathers' sons.

* * *

The visits to Banora were just the last straw on a seemingly endless list of complaints as Hojo watched Hollander take more control for himself; Gast hadn't been to Midgar in over a year, and never stayed more than a couple weeks at a time. Something had to be done before he ended up removed from the picture entirely.

He wasn't ostensibly in a position to ask much of the Turks, but Sephiroth would ever be a shared link that had their Commander's ear, even once Vincent's affections towards Lucrecia had cooled. "I need to know Gast's location."

"Hollander won't say?" Vincent had the gall to smile, a little twitch of lips behind his coffee mug that he managed to settle with a sip. "Can't you call him?"

"He's full of nothing but excuses over the phone," Hojo said, narrowing his eyes at the Turk. "Is it too _classified_ for the great Vincent Valentine?"

"I think you'll find I've grown out of the worst of my temper," Vincent said, openly amused now. "But no, it's not. One of our operatives ferried him up to the Icicle area, it's been his base of operations for a couple years now. I doubt you'll get Hollander to sign off on you specifically going to see Gast, though."

"I'll find a way." Hojo scowled, accepting the cup that the Turk nudged in his direction. "He's going to ruin the boys, and if he wants to ruin his own, _fine_ , but Sephiroth is better than this. I _refuse_ to see him fail to reach his potential because of that hack."

"I can't say I'm particularly comfortable with him having any authority in Sephiroth's upbringing myself," Vincent admitted, taking a folded page out of his jacket and passing it across the table. "So I'm going to do you a favor and suggest you sign yourself on to the Mako studies group going up to the Modeoheim area to see if it could support a reactor. Helicopters can't go round trip that far on one tank, and Modeoheim is barely settled - they'll refuel in Icicle, and if you happen to meet Gast there, well. What a fortunate coincidence."

Hojo huffed a laugh at that, accepting the page - a brief sheet of the relevant mission details printed out for easy review, and an address written on the bottom in Vincent's neat script. "You knew I would ask."

"I hoped you would," Vincent corrected. "Or Lucrecia, but she was never the sort to play politics. I _like_ Professor Faremis; I knew him through my father. He means well, which is more than I can say for his proteges."

"Of course, the devil you know…" Hojo mused, shaking his head. "He's soft, but he doesn't tell me how to do my job. I'll bring him back."

Gast was shocked to be tracked down, and defensive - it was easy to see why, finding the little family he had hidden away. The implications to the scientific community to find a living Cetra weren't lost on Hojo, but he was in no position to capitalize on it. More important than anything else was getting the head of the department back before Hollander took any more control for himself. Gast's sentimental stipulations to protect his wife and daughter meant nothing; everyone was secondary to his goal of getting Sephiroth back on track.

It was Ifalna, in the end, who convinced him.

"Gast, if there's a chance to mediate Jenova's influence on those boys… we have to take it," she said. "The Planet won't survive another crisis."

"It's worth a look," Hojo agreed. "We wanted Cetra all along, did we not? If the boys aren't on target, something needs done."

Sephiroth was enhanced in a particular way, an advancement of his skills and abilities. Hojo had not sought to create another Jenova, no; he wanted to do better. The influence was there, but not something to be nearly so concerned of. Hollander's boy, however, was made in her image. Pity that.

* * *

The changes to the boys would have to be made slowly, carefully, but there was time as they had not yet hit puberty. It was clear from their experiences so far that enhancements wouldn't stick to adults in the same way, neither Gillian nor Lucrecia showing any particularly advanced skills despite their own treatments. Sephiroth and Angeal, however…

They were fast and strong, inhumanly so. Not even teenagers yet, still growing into their bodies, and they'd outpaced their tutors in weapons and materia. It was only against each other they could truly test themselves now. Even the blades they wielded showed the demand on their skills, a junior Buster blade settled comfortably for Angeal's broader form while Sephiroth had taken a shine to katanas after learning from one of the Turks that had been the greatest swordsman Gongaga had to offer. He wanted a nodachi, and fully intended to get one when he caught up to his father's height. Vincent had a few in mind, but fully backed Lucrecia's insistence that he wait.

They'd been told their history - Ifalna had insisted, and Gast had eventually given in - and took it in surprisingly good grace. It was clear where the influence of Jenova was physically, silver hair and glowing green eyes, skills that no human could claim, but they also saw their parents in their reflections and found peers in each other. Genesis didn't take it quite as well, and had a terrible fight with his adoptive parents over it, managing to spontaneously cast fire and horrifying himself into silence. After that, he came to Midgar on school breaks, letting himself be assessed and getting basic training. His enhancements had advanced slightly, but he wanted nothing to do with the upcoming SOLDIER program.

"I don't want to fight," Genesis said simply, tossing a Dumbapple for Sephiroth to pin to the wall with a long dagger, a skill he'd picked up from yet another Turk as he diligently went through their ranks to learn every new skill he possibly could. "Not like that."

"What else is there?" Angeal threw his blade with a grunt, grinning in satisfaction as it speared straight through an apple and pinned into the wall of their simulated playground.

" _Words,_ don't be a brute." Genesis sighed, getting up to get the apple, examining it a moment before getting a knife out to cut off the part that had rested on top of the blade and eating the rest of the slice. "Maybe politics, I don't know. Nothing as small scale as my father."

"Words work for my fathers," Sephiroth pointed out, going to retrieve his knives. "Father would rather let his science talk, and Dad likes guns probably just as much, but still."

"Hojo's not a bad shot, I saw him take down that experiment that got loose," Angeal said, tugging his sword out. "One shot, _boom_. He didn't even flinch."

"Uncle Veld taught him, before they were going to head to Nibelheim. Dad probably made him practice there." Sephiroth smiled faintly, shaking his head. "He makes _me_ practice. I like blades better."

"Haven't seen the Director in a while, that surprised me," Angeal admitted. Usually Veld came in to talk to Gast, at least once a week, but it had been Vincent lately. He hadn't spent that much time there since they were little, and while he _liked_ Sephiroth's dad, that was weird.

"He was moving his family here from Kalm, figured Aerith and Felicia would get along," Sephiroth explained. "I pity his rookie, Tseng's probably going to have to babysit."

"At least it's not us." Angeal swung his sword in a lazy arch, giving his friends a smile. "So. _I_ came here to stab Dumbapples and kick ass, and it looks like we're out of Dumbapples."

"Okay, _wait,_ let me find somewhere else to sit and watch you two idiots," Genesis said, grabbing his book and the basket.

"Change it to Junon - falling off the cannon is an automatic loss," Sephiroth challenged.

"Bonus, then," Angeal said, grin turning sharp and wicked as their surroundings shimmered, glancing back briefly to see when Genesis had found higher ground to sit on. "Don't get lost in your book, this'll be good."

"So smug," Genesis muttered, shaking his head. "Luck to you both. On my go. Three… two… one… _go._ "

* * *

SOLDIER was in full swing by the time the boys hit their mid teens. Genesis had graduated early and was looking at either going to Kalm University or the one in Junon, and visited less though the trio called each other and usually had a line or two of email open at any one time. But while both Sephiroth and Angeal were viewed as stars of the program, it was Angeal that the President saw as the better face for his propaganda. He'd grown into his shoulders and long limbs, a broad and solid figure carved of muscle with a charismatic smile and a firm, no-nonsense personality that resonated with the military. Sephiroth was a constant support, blending into the background the way he'd learned from VIncent, just as strong and fast but quicker to think than to act.

"You should sign one of those posters and send it to Genesis," Sephiroth suggested, smirking at the _look_ he received for it.

"It could have been you, pretty boy," Angeal said, going back to examining the various posters PR had printed up. He had to admit, the First Class charcoals looked good on him, much better than the pale blue or odd purple of the ranks he'd sped through. "At least it's not a bad picture."

"Please, they'd never put me on something like that." Sephiroth laughed at the thought. "Pretty boy, sure. Too tall, too pale, too quiet… the President thinks I'm useful, he doesn't actually like me."

"Too much like your fathers, is all," Angeal said. "But I wouldn't have anyone else for my second in command. If we do go to war, you're the one I'd want with me."

"You say that like anyone else could keep up with you." Still, Sephiroth's smile was fond. "Let's hit up the training room before Lazard finds something else for us to do."

"I wouldn't mind if he did. Get us out of the Tower, something to _do_ instead of wait. My sword's going to get rusty without some use." Angeal reached back, fingers brushing over the leather wrapped hilt of the Buster Sword, comfortable with its weight at his back. "Junon, maybe?"

"Sure, why not?"

They ended up going to war three months later. The official line was that the Wutains became hostile over ShinRa's efforts to share the benefits of Mako energy, stuck in their ways. In private, Vincent admitted that the President had pushed after they rejected it, forcing the issue and bringing in military. Whatever the cause, the outcome was the same, and there was a small send off party before Angeal and Sephiroth were to be deployed to the front lines.

Genesis flew in from Junon, snagging a flight with a couple of Veld's newest Turks. He brought bottles of apple brandy that the adults pretended not to see and ended up talking about materia and magic with Aerith until she had to leave for the night. The three boys ended up staying up until dawn, aware of the unspoken reality that even the very best warriors might never come home.

But this was what they'd trained their whole lives for. By the time Angeal and Sephiroth returned, they would have earned the titles that ShinRa had stacked on their shoulders.

* * *

It had been predicted, promises from Hojo and Hollander and Gast himself from their infancy, but it was still breathtaking to watch Angeal and Sephiroth in action. SOLDIER in itself was a game changer, massively pulling the tides of war in ShinRa's favor, but it was their two brightest stars who made the overwhelming difference. They cut through Wutai as if there was no resistance, Angeal an unshakeable force with his massive blade and Sephiroth light on his feet sweeping behind with his nodachi, leaving fields of bodies in their wakes. Despite their seemingly inevitable successes, there was never a lack of opponents; Wutai seemed poised to spend their entire population in resistance if that was what it took. They all blended together, one battle into another.

Then there was a night where their camp was interrupted. Not by a ninja, none of the shinobi that lived stealth and breathed danger, no. When Angeal finally snapped fully awake, it was to jerk his blade to a stop a hair's breadth from a wide-eyed girl who'd gone pale, breathing hard.

She couldn't have been more than seven, a little thing in a green vest and white shorts, and when she seemed to realize she wasn't about to be decapitated she spat at him. "ShinRa demon! You don't belong here!"

Sephiroth stepped up behind Angeal, deep voice quiet and speaking Wutain with the flawless grace of long practice. " _The battlefield is no place for children._ "

The girl flushed, snarling. "You keep our language out of your filthy mouth, demon!"

"Would you rather die?" Angeal asked, shifting the Buster Sword and watching moonlight glint off the blade. "You nearly did. Go home, kid. You'll die out here."

"What do _you_ care? You're just going to kill everybody!"

They were silent a long moment, before Sephiroth's hand rested on Angeal's shoulder. "Not tonight. Go home."

Angeal started to move his blade, but froze when the brush parted several meters away, revealing several Wutai soldiers. They were watching tensely, a weight that said perhaps this was more than just a random child. For a long moment, no one said anything. Then Angeal stood in one fluid motion, sword pointed away. "Take the kid home."

"I came here to _fight!_ " She shrilled, getting to her feet and taking a surprisingly competent stance.

"No, little one." One of the men advanced - a sergeant, to judge by the uniform - scooping her up and backing away slowly. "You will take their mercy with grace."

"I wanna fight!" She insisted, kicking furiously. "Let me go!"

But the warrior didn't listen, vanishing behind the ranks of the others into the brush.

Angeal watched the rest a long moment, frowning deeply. "I'm not here to kill kids."

"So you say," one of the privates agreed quietly. "Your mercy is unexpected."

"I fight _warriors,_ " Angeal said firmly.

"Yet your people burn our towns to the ground, from the men to the children." He shook his head. "If these are your ways, your ways are not the same as your masters. But this night, we part in peace."

They let them go in silence. Neither of them slept again that night.

* * *

When people talked about the war back in Midgar, no one talked about how ugly it was. Angeal had lead Sephiroth through wide swaths of Godo's armies, but they'd missed the damages done by the troops coming behind them. The first time they saw a razed town and the twisted corpses left in the streets, they'd been completely unprepared.

It had been a small fishing town on the coast, with no military presence. They hadn't stood a chance, hadn't been a threat, and they were utterly destroyed.

"What's the point?" Angeal whispered, staring at the smoldering ruins. " _Why?_ "

"Because they were Wutain, and Wutai won't give in to the President's demands," Sephiroth said quietly. "Why did you think we were here?"

The truth was, Angeal hadn't. He had his orders, he had a _challenge,_ and he went. But looking at this, all this pointless death and destruction - _civilians_ targeted for nothing more than their race - he felt his stomach flip and turned aside. "Seph, I… I can't do that. _We_ can't…"

Sephiroth watched him a moment in silence, looking over the field and back to him. "You're my friend, and my General, Angeal, I'll follow your lead. What's the plan?"

That night, they called Vincent.

Vincent had never supported the war, and made no pretense otherwise in front of his son. They had family there, which Sephiroth had done his best not to think of. Hojo had cared more for the fact that it would show Sephiroth's skills than the war itself, but his influence wasn't what they needed. ShinRa wanted a war, it wanted Wutai crushed and subjugated. If two SOLDIERs - even the best of the best - were going to change things, they needed a _Turk._

Vincent Valentine knew about keeping secrets, and he knew even more about _ShinRa's_ secrets. And he knew the secret of the young blond head of SOLDIER, approaching the young Director accordingly. Lazard was almost dangerously interested in changing the status quo, something he'd have to watch closely. Veld - because whether he was the director or not, Vincent would always have confided in his partner - was less favorable. But he couldn't deny that he wasn't in favor of the war either. A promise to talk was enough to start with.

Lazard called his men home, to strategize - though he let others assume what for. In the cover of his office, within the privacy allowed by the presence of the Turk Commander, they began to discuss a new future.

* * *

After over a year on the warfront, it was strange being back. The initial discussions aside, Angeal and Sephiroth were turned loose to try and find themselves a purpose while the two directors talked in private. Political maneuvering simply wasn't something they were ready to take action on themselves short of something as drastic as defection. For now, the thought of leaving their men was unacceptable.

Lazard pointed out that it would have been a good plan if Angeal looked into taking on a student, both for PR and morale, so the two Firsts made their way to inspect the best the ranks of Seconds had to offer.

"What about Fair?" Sephiroth gestured to one of the pair currently sparring in the room below. "Good statistics."

"Attention span of a puppy," Angeal pointed out. "I don't have time to coddle him with the war going on."

"Pity, his instructors and supervisors have all spoken well of him," Sephiroth said, checking his file on the laptop they'd brought. "Lazard said he was quite the impressive, honorable young man."

"Well then he's working in the wrong company, isn't he?" Angeal said, frowning. "Good men get killed, Sephiroth. He won't last out there, and I'm not going to hurry his death along. What about the other one with him?"

"Kunsel James, I believe." Sephiroth switched files. "Quiet, intelligent, driven. Not as accomplished with a blade. Honestly seems like he'd have fit the profile of a Turk better."

"You're practically an enhanced Turk yourself," Angeal pointed out. "I could use someone with his kind of intelligence right now. Fair's a good kid, I just don't think he'll cut it in ShinRa."

"Your call, General, it's going to be your shadow." Sephiroth shrugged.

Second Class Kunsel was signed on as General Hollander's apprentice by the end of the week, baffled but grateful to be chosen. Sephiroth's observation hadn't been off, however, and with higher clearance - and his mentor's encouragement - he began digging ever deeper into the archives. When he found the secret Deepground program, he brought it to his mentor, white with fear.

Angeal went white with fury. There was gossip for weeks after he went roaring into the Science Department, and rumors about how the Valentine Commanders had squared off on the Turk floor, Turk and SOLDIER instead of father and son, tight lipped and flashing eyes. No one knew what had set the Firsts off, but everyone knew something was going to happen. The entire nation of Wutai could have fallen at their feet if they hadn't been called back, and they looked ready to go to war all over again.

* * *

They'd been told to take it slow, wait until Rufus was old enough to safely take over the company.

After finding out about Deepground, there was no more 'taking it slow' - Angeal rallied the ranks and on his call SOLDIERs around the world stopped what they were doing. Entire platoons brought the war to a standstill. Junon was occupied, the port taken and the academy frozen. No one was fighting - no one was doing anything, all they would say was that they were waiting on their General.

Angeal was called before the board and went in full battle dress, armor gleaming, sword a silent statement of intent on his back. Kunsel and Sephiroth were at his back. Vincent and Veld flanked the President, and the former watched his son in pensive silence.

"I'm willing, in light of how much you've done for the company, to ask just what you boys think you're doing instead of having you executed for treason," the President said mildly. "Make it good."

"You can't _afford_ to execute us," Angeal said bluntly. "You'll lose SOLDIER. They all know why we're here, they support _us._ "

"We made you into their hero, true, but there's no reason we can't dismantle that pedestal," Rupert said, just as mild, just as calm. "Take a seat, Hollander. I'm willing to hear you out, aren't I?"

"You've been willing to abandon good men as collateral damage, to slash our budgets so training and supplies are subpar and rationed during a war we're fighting for nothing more than your greed," Angeal said, deep voice just above a growl. "You have been willing to take our dying and injured out of the clinics to receive experimental enhancements to become a slave force. We found the Deepground project, Mr. President. And I'm not standing for it."

There was a murmur around the board - not everyone had known, and certainly not details. Kunsel hit a remote and the projector clicked to life, showing camera stills of patients being taken by men dressed in uniforms that weren't quite SOLDIER, of a dark facility filled with cells like a prison instead of a training camp.

"Those are _our men,_ " Angeal said, voice taking on the deadly quiet that would have had a room of his men waiting with bated breath for what decision was about to be passed. "And I _will not_ stand by and let you use them that way."

Rupert sighed, hands steepled in front of him. "And out of curiosity, just what do you think you can do if I call your bluff? What would you do if I ordered my Turks to take you down where you stand, I wonder?"

The SOLDIER General's smile was a hard, feral thing, his laugh mirthless. "Mr. President, you had my father give you the best warrior walking the Planet, maybe the best ever, and he _delivered_. I don't think you understand the stakes here. I could kill everyone here before they could possibly pump me with enough bullets to even slow me down."

The President stared him down. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to call that bluff."

Angeal smiled faintly, removing his blade without hesitation. Masamune appeared silently in Sephiroth's hand at his side, and Kunsel followed their lead, slowly drawing his blade. They never glanced at each other as they fanned out, seeming unbothered by the dark look they were treated to. Almost too fast to follow, Angeal lifted his blade and shoved it through the massive table, promptly cleaving it in two and making the executives jump from their chairs. "You wanna try me, old man? Go ahead. I like your sons better anyway."

"Turks-" There was a note of fear, however faint, as the President stepped back against his guard.

At his side, Vincent clicked the safety off his pistol. "Are you asking me to kill my _son_ , sir?"

"I'm _telling you_ to put down hostile forces threatening your president!" Rupert demanded. " _Now,_ Valentine."

Slowly, the muzzle was raised and pressed neatly to the President's spine. "I'm afraid I can't do that, sir."

Rupert hissed, tense. "Director Faraman, get your second under control, _now._ You have a duty!"

Veld was silent a long moment, looking at the two boys he'd watched grow up, and frowned. "Sir, my duty is to protect the best interests of the company. I'm afraid that's just become finding agreement with these young men."

" _Veld-_ "

"And I believe, for your war crimes, you should probably be arrested," he continued, arching a brow. "Valentine, if you would?"

Vincent smirked, getting cuffs off his belt and stepping around to snap them in place around the President's wrists. "I suggest you exercise your right to remain silent. You'll have a lot of talking to do later."

"You can't do this! I'm the _President!"_ He protested.

"You're only a leader so long as people are willing to follow you, _sir,_ " Angeal said quietly. "And it's not your face on those posters."

* * *

It would take three years before SOLDIER was completely out of Wutai, acting President Reeve Tuesti filling in while Rufus Shinra finished business college and came into his own, heavily influenced by the Turks who had done more to raise him than his father. Former President Rupert Shinra was put on public trial for war crimes, which went a long way toward pacifying Godo, and the public rallied around their beloved Steel General. It hadn't taken much to keep their favor, not after over a decade with millions of dollars feeding propaganda that had them fawning all over him. Selling the story of his righteous anger was Genesis' doing, a mix of his literary talent and extensive study into political science coming into play.

Without a war to fight, Angeal turned to Lazard to find new work, slowly reforging the department into a protective force that was steadily culling the monster infestations from Midgar outward, setting up safe passage between cities while they cleaned up their own. To his surprise, that was where he met Zack Fair once more, dressed in First Class charcoals with the only person Angeal had ever seen with crazier hair following behind him, the little SOLDIER picking up his new Second Class uniform.

"So, you've made First?" Angeal looked him over thoughtfully. The teenager had filled out, solid muscle sculpted by working with the broadsword on his back.

"Field promotion, when some of Wutai's people thought we were lying about the cease fire. Took down half the field with a mastered Sleep spell and managed to subdue the rest without casualties." Zack smiled, just as bright as he ever had, and nodded to the Second with him. "Cloud here was infantry, but he kept up. Best medic on the field that day, we didn't lose anyone. As soon as I was signed off on First, I lobbied for him to get retested for SOLDIER and he made it. He's hopping up to Second after two years, one of the hardest workers I've ever had the pleasure to work with."

"Zaaaaack!" The kid blushed, but looked pleased at the praise.

"What? SOLDIER's where you belong, Spike, especially now." Zack shrugged, waving at Kunsel when he slipped into Lazard's office. "Hey Kuns!"

"Hey, Zack!" Kunsel grinned, coming to accept a quick hug and mussing Cloud's hair to his protest. "Good to see you climbing the ranks, Cloud."

"Thanks…"

"Hey, you want to hit up the cafe for lunch?" Kunsel offered. "We're on break a while, right, Angeal?"

"Sure, I'm just meeting with Sephiroth." Angeal nodded. "Have fun, I'll call you later when we have an assignment."

"Awesome! Your treat." Zack laughed as he was swatted. "Okay, my treat, since Spike just ranked up. Go get those purples on, buddy."

"Yessir!"

Zack smiled, watching him go, but glanced at Angeal when he felt the older First staring. "Hm?"

"What did you mean, before? About SOLDIER fitting him, 'especially now'?" Angeal asked.

"Oh well…" Zack shrugged, rubbing a hand through his spiky hair. "SOLDIER… it was a dark place for a long time. More than I knew, to hear about the whole mess with the Deepground protocol. But now, man? We're what we should have been. We're heroes. We _help_ people. And that's what he always dreamed of doing."

"I see." Angeal nodded slowly, a small smile curving his lips. "Things do look better these days."

"Hell yeah they do!" Zack grinned. "What you and Commander Valentine have done for us… we can be proud to be SOLDIER again. _This_ is what I'd always dreamt of, when I left Gongaga. This is good."

"We've got a lot of good men," Angeal said quietly. "But I wouldn't suggest running off on a dream again, Zack."

"Why not?" Zack tilted his head, bangs swaying. "It worked for you."

* * *

It was going to take a long time to clean up ShinRa, but Reeve was turning out to be a better choice than anyone could have predicted. He immediately started putting the funds that had been funneled into the war to work in Midgar, improving infrastructure and putting programs into place to help the people living in the slums. Recycling programs started improving quality of life immediately as trash and scrap were cleaned up and people were paid for it, money spent to improve their living conditions and increasing the quality of life. All the reactors were getting an overhaul to work safer, but there was talk of eventually finding other power sources and discontinuing Mako use after some budding-ecoterrorists tentatively agreed to work on staff instead in hope of putting a peaceful end to the massive reactors that had been slowly creating a dead zone around the city.

To that end, Genesis and Aerith were getting ready to be escorted down to Cosmo Canyon, in order to talk with some of the locals and their elder Bugenhagen about sustainable energy and learn from his Mako studies. It was practically unheard of for Gast to let his daughter that far out of his sights, but she was a strong willed girl who wanted to see the Planet that was calling her, and both Veld and Lazard made sure to send two of their best. Tseng was familiar with Aerith, of course, having had his own shadow duty over her on multiple occasions throughout his career. There was a definite fondness there, but anything more was smothered by the instant chemistry when she met the equally bright personality that was Zack Fair.

Sephiroth, who had walked the line between the Science Department and the Turks before he'd ever been SOLDIER, pulled his friend aside for a word. "Fair is a good operative, but if he tries anything, I would consider that grounds for action."

"Valentine, do not corrupt my Turk," Veld warned, coming out to the flight pad. "Tseng isn't policing Fair, even _if_ he's an incorrigible flirt."

"I'm certain I will be able to assess the situation as necessary, thank you both," Tseng said mildly, though he was amused. "And Ms. Faremis _is_ in possession of a staff. I assure you, she knows how to use it."

Sephiroth huffed softly, but let it go as Angeal and Genesis came up as well, the General helping carry some of his supplies. "Pack enough?"

"I'll have you know that at least half of that was on request of the Science Department," Genesis informed him. "I have a carry on. Really, college was quite educational in the process of packing light. I don't need much."

"Just try not to go stir anything up," Sephiroth advised, patting his shoulder. "Keep in touch?"

"Of course." Genesis nodded, chuckling and helping take some things back from Angeal so Aerith could hug him properly. "Ready to go?"

"Just getting hugs!" She darted around to Sephiroth next. "Be safe. Don't let anyone stay too late in the labs!"

"No promises," Sephiroth said, tugging her bangs lightly. "Be safe."

"I will! Come on, Tseng!"

"Of course." Tseng nodded to the assembled others. "I'll make sure we check in regularly."

* * *

Between Aerith's work with Bugenhagen and Ifalna's collaboration with Reeve, ShinRa was able to start manufacturing solar panels and windmills, peppering the wastes out towards Junon and Kalm with clusters that began to immediately return profit. Within five years, the combined sources of clean energy allowed for the decommissioning of most of Midgar's reactors as part of a ten-year plan in place to change out the rest of the world. Hydroelectric power saw the Junon Reactor powered down as well, and at last had Wutai interested in working with ShinRa. The company's golden age looked nothing like its once-President had dreamed, but profits were higher and their reach wider than it had ever been as they began to expand into a massive amount of new products.

It was when the discussion of the very first of the Reactors came up that early history came back around - the Jenova specimen, the Cetra's ancient Calamity, was still stored there. With the three boys fully stabilized and the influence of Its cells minimized, there was no reason to think that there would be specific danger to them, but the fact remained that so long as it existed, Jenova would be a threat.

Ifalna's solution was a Cetran relic that had been passed down in her family, the Holy materia that had been used on the boys early on. Rufus was skeptical of the whole process, but bowed to Reeve's beliefs that her worries were well founded. With their blessing and the two Valentine commanders as her guards, Ifalna was flown north to the Forgotten Capital to try and lead the Planet to cleanse itself once and for all.

Angeal was officially assigned to take Aerith to oversee the end result in Nibelheim, but Zack came along as well since they were currently dating and he was uncomfortable with her mission. The two Firsts were also joined by Zack's student, as Cloud was a native and would be able to navigate the treacherous path to the Reactor for them. After further conversation, Genesis rounded out the group with Cait Sith; no one was quite sure how the Planet would act on Ifalna's request, and they all thought it was wise to have someone capable of shutting the Reactor down.

In the end, it was almost anti-climactic. The Lifestream rose from the well of Mako in the bowels of the Reactor in grasping tendrils, twining around the strange humanoid and slowly destroying it while they watched. There was a moment where Angeal felt something, heard a whisper in his mind, a woman's voice begging for her son's aid, but that wasn't _his_ mother.

The voice went silent as Jenova was eventually destroyed, confirmed by Aerith and Ifalna, and the teams returned home to Midgar triumphant.

* * *

"Do you ever wonder what life would be like, if you'd made different choices?" Aerith asked.

Angeal glanced at her, surprised by the question. "I generally try not to second guess myself, so no. What brought that on?"

"I was helping Mom clean out the attic and found some pictures of when they'd been up in Icicle. I was just thinking… what if Professor Hojo hadn't talked Dad into coming back to Midgar?" She frowned, absently smoothing the patch of dirt she was working in. "I might never have met you guys. Mom wouldn't have been here to take care of your Jenova cells."

"We'd have made it alright, I think." Angeal shrugged, handing her another flower to put in. "It would have been lonely for you, unless there were other kids. Then I guess you'd have just made other friends."

"Maybe." Aerith sighed. "I'm just really grateful he did. Midgar hasn't always been a good place, but… you guys are my family."

"Being sappy, little sister?"

"Sephiroth!" She jumped up, going to get a hug. "Welcome back. How did things go?"

"I'm going to back Zack's recommendation to put Cloud through to First Class," Sephiroth decided, brushing a little dirt off his jacket with a smile. "He's ready for it. What are you two doing down here?"

"Planting flowers!" Aerith gestured to the wide boxes she'd had the SOLDIERs carry in, several filled with blossoms. "Reeve wants to turn this old church into a civic center, but keep as much of the old architecture as possible, so I wanted to put in some flowers for him. Angeal offered to help."

"Mm _hm,_ well I'll leave you two to play in the dirt, I have a report to make, and I'm catching dinner with Dad before someone sends him out again." Sephiroth tugged her ponytail with a smile. "I'll see you later."

"Say hi to Vincent for me," Angeal said, waving him off. "I'm supposed to call Gen tonight, but I'll wait for it to get a little later."

"Then say hi to him for us," Aerith said. "I can finish up here if you wanted to go?"

"No, it's fine." Angeal smiled warmly. "Sometimes some simple work is nice. Besides, I can't leave you to get lost in what ifs."

"I guess not." She hummed a little, shaking her head. "Things are good now, regardless."

"They are," Angeal agreed.

He wouldn't want life any other way.


End file.
